Compound Athletic Stocking

ABSTRACT

A compound stocking has a principle portion having a closed toe end and an upper, open end, formed to cover an athlete&#39;s foot and ankle, and an outer, movable portion, in part elastic, having an open end and joined at an opposite end to the principle inner portion along a join line around the athlete&#39;s leg above the ankle. With the outer portion drawn up and the athlete&#39;s foot in an athletic shoe having spikes on a front sole area, and with the shoe laced up along a lacing region, the outer portion is outside and above an upper edge of the shoe, and wherein with the outer portion then pulled down over the heel and mid portions of the athletic shoe, the upper edge of the shoe and the lacing region are covered, but the spikes are not.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is in the technical area of athletic footwear, and pertains more particularly to a stocking having a movable outer layer to seal a show from sand.

2. Description of Related Art

It is well-known in the art that track athletes wear special track shoes with spikes for best traction on track surfaces. Athletes that participate in field events such as long jump, triple jump and pole vault also wear such spiked shoes to get maximum speed in approaching a jump pit or pole vault stand. Typically the spikes on such shoes are on the front area o the show, and not on the heel area.

A particular problem that plagues field athletes that interact with sand pits is that sand quickly finds its way into the low-profile shoes, and these athletes often have to remove, empty and retie the shoes after every time they compete.

What is clearly needed is a solution that keeps sand out of the athlete's shoes, but does not interfere with the spike area of the shoes.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment of the present invention a compound stocking is provided, comprising a principle portion having a closed toe end and an upper, open end, formed to cover an athlete's foot and ankle from toes to a position on the athlete's leg above the ankle, and an outer, movable portion, at least in part elastic, having an open end and joined at an opposite end to the principle inner portion along a join line following substantially a circumference of the athlete's leg at a position above the athlete's ankle. With the outer portion drawn up and the athlete's foot placed in an athletic shoe having spikes on a front sole area, and with the shoe laced up along a lacing region, the outer portion is outside and above an upper edge of the shoe, and wherein with the outer portion then pulled down over the heel and mid portions of the athletic shoe, the upper edge of the shoe is covered around the athlete's foot, as is the lacing region, but the spikes on the front sole area are not covered, thus blocking sand from entering the shoe around the lacing region or the upper edge of the shoe, and leaving the spikes unaffected.

In one embodiment the join line is accomplished by stitching. Also in one embodiment the stocking further comprises a first elastic band at the upper open end of the principle portion, provided to hold the compound stocking securely to the athlete's leg. And in one embodiment the stocking further comprises a second elastic band at the open end of the outer, movable portion, provided to secure the open end of the outer movable portion around the athletic shoe over the lacing region.

In another aspect of the invention a method for keeping sand out of an athletic shoe is provided, comprising steps of covering an athlete's foot with a principle portion of a compound stocking, having a closed toe end and an upper, open end, covering the athlete's foot and ankle from toes to a position on the athlete's leg above the ankle, the compound stocking having an outer, movable portion, at least in part elastic, having an open end and joined at an opposite end to the principle inner portion along a join line following substantially a circumference of the athlete's leg at a position above the athlete's ankle, the movable outer portion pulled up to a position above the join line, placing the athlete's foot with the compound stocking in place in a low profile athletic shoe having a spike region on a front portion of a sole of the shoe, and lacing up the shoe along a lacing region, the outer, movable portion at this step above upper edges of the shoe, and pulling the outer, movable portion down over the athletic shoe, covering the upper edges of the shoe, mid-portions of the shoe and the lacing region, such that in use sand is prevented from entering the shoe, but the spike region is unaffected.

In one embodiment of the method the join line is accomplished by stitching. Also in one embodiment the method further comprises securing the inner, principle portion to an athlete's leg by a first elastic band at the upper open end of the principle portion. And in one embodiment the method further comprises securing the outer, movable portion to the shoe by a second elastic band at the open end of the outer, movable portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a compound stocking on an athlete's foot in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the compound stocking of FIG. 1 on the athlete's foot with a movable portion of the compound stocking pulled up.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the compound stocking of FIG. 2 on the athlete's foot with the movable portion of the compound stocking pulled up, and the foot laced into a spiked shoe.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the compound stocking of FIG. 2 on the athlete's foot, with the foot laced into a spiked shoe, and the movable portion pulled down over a portion of the shoe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a compound stocking 100 on an athlete's foot in an embodiment of the present invention. Stocking 100 has a principle stocking portion 101 that is similar to other athletic stocking, with an elastic band 105 at the leg opening that serves to hold the stocking to an athlete's lag. There is further an outer, movable portion 102 that in the downward, deployed aspect shown lays over the inner principle stocking portion and has an elastic band 104 at an open end of the movable portion. The outer, movable portion 102 is joined to the inner, principle portion, such as by stiching 103. The position of the stitching is important, as it needs to be above an elevation that might be covered by an athletic show when the athlete places her foot in the shoe with the stocking in place.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of compound stocking 100 of FIG. 1 on an athlete's foot with movable portion 102 pulled up and bunched around the athlete's leg. The stitching 103 is visible in FIG. 2 on the underside of outer movable portion 102. The athlete will typically pull up portion 102 in preparation for placing her foot with stocking in place in the shoe.

FIG. 3 illustrates the athlete's foot with stocking in place, and the foot engaged in an athletic, spiked shoe 301, which has spikes on a front area of a sole of the shoe, and laces 302 for securely engaging the shoe to the athlete's foot. In this view movable portion 102 is still bunched up around the athlete's leg, and above stitch line 103 and the upper edge of the low-profile shoe.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view showing the movable portion 102 pulled down over the heel and mid-portions of the athletic shoe, covering the top edge of the low profile shoe and the laces of the shoe, thereby providing a block against sand or other material entering the shoe. The movable portion is held in place with aid of elastic band 104. In some applications a strip of athletic tape might be deployed in the region of elastic band 104 for a more sure fit. The skilled person will recognize from FIG. 4 that with the movable portion deployed the spike area of the show is uncovered and unaffected.

Compound stockings according to embodiments of this invention, when deployed and used as illustrated herein, prevent sand and dirt from entering the athlete's shoes, and relieve the athlete from a necessity to remove the shoes often to dump out collected sand or dirt.

The skilled artisan will understand that there are a variety of materials that might be used for compound stockings in embodiments of the invention, that stockings may be made in a variety of sizes and weights, and that the joining along line 103 may be by stitching, or may be made in another manner. The elastic bands may be provided in a variety of sizes and with different tension characteristics, and in some embodiments no elastic bands are used at all. The scope of the invention is limited only by the claims below. 

1. A compound stocking comprising: a principle portion having a closed toe end and an upper, open end, formed to cover an athlete's foot and ankle from toes to a position on the athlete's leg above the ankle; and an outer, movable portion, at least in part elastic, having an open end and joined at an opposite end to the principle inner portion along a join line following substantially a circumference of the athlete's leg at a position above the athlete's ankle; wherein, with the outer portion drawn up and the athlete's foot placed in an athletic shoe having spikes on a front sole area, and with the shoe laced up along a lacing region, the outer portion is outside and above an upper edge of the shoe, and wherein with the outer portion then pulled down over the heel and mid portions of the athletic shoe, the upper edge of the shoe is covered around the athlete's foot, as is the lacing region, but the spikes on the front sole area are not covered, thus blocking sand from entering the shoe around the lacing region or the upper edge of the shoe, and leaving the spikes unaffected.
 2. The compound stocking of claim 1 wherein the join line is accomplished by stitching.
 3. The compound stocking of claim 1 further comprising a first elastic band at the upper open end of the principle portion, provided to hold the compound stocking securely to the athlete's leg.
 4. The compound stocking of claim 1 further comprising a second elastic band at the open end of the outer, movable portion, provided to secure the open end of the outer movable portion around the athletic shoe over the lacing region.
 5. A method for keeping sand out of an athletic shoe, comprising steps of: covering an athlete's foot with a principle portion of a compound stocking, having a closed toe end and an upper, open end, covering the athlete's foot and ankle from toes to a position on the athlete's leg above the ankle, the compound stocking having an outer, movable portion, at least in part elastic, having an open end and joined at an opposite end to the principle inner portion along a join line following substantially a circumference of the athlete's leg at a position above the athlete's ankle, the movable outer portion pulled up to a position above the join line; placing the athlete's foot with the compound stocking in place in a low profile athletic shoe having a spike region on a front portion of a sole of the shoe, and lacing up the shoe along a lacing region, the outer, movable portion at this step above upper edges of the shoe; and pulling the outer, movable portion down over the athletic shoe, covering the upper edges of the shoe, mid-portions of the shoe and the lacing region, such that in use sand is prevented from entering the shoe, but the spike region is unaffected.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the join line is accomplished by stitching.
 7. The method of claim 5 further comprising securing the inner, principle portion to an athlete's leg by a first elastic band at the upper open end of the principle portion.
 8. The method of claim 5 further comprising securing the outer, movable portion to the shoe by a second elastic band at the open end of the outer, movable portion. 